Robin Zon

Robin Zon

Medical Oncologist

Breast Oncology

Cincinnati Cancer Advisors

Location USA, Cincinnati

Linkedin

Dr. Robin Zon is a board-certified medical oncologist with more than 30 years of experience as a healthcare, medical, and business leader in oncology. She served as President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from June 2024 to August 2025 and currently serves as Chair of the ASCO Society Board. She is Director of Breast Oncology at Cincinnati Cancer Advisors and Physician Emeritus of Michiana Hematology Oncology, where she served for more than two decades including as President/CEO. A recipient of ASCO’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2020, Dr. Zon has been a pioneer in the development of telehealth standards in oncology and has been an influential voice in clinical trial policy, biosimilars, clinical pathways, and safe handling of hazardous drugs. She has led nationally sponsored clinical research through her role as Principal Investigator of the Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium (NICRC) — earning multiple NCI Platinum Certificates of Excellence for clinical trial accrual — and has been deeply committed to promoting equitable access to high-quality cancer care and training the next generation of oncologists.

Current Positions

  • Chair, ASCO Society Board, June 2025–present
  • Director of Breast Oncology, Cincinnati Cancer Advisors, October 2022–present

Education

  • BS, University of Detroit Mercy
  • MD, Indiana University School of Medicine
  • Executive Certificate in Business Administration, University of Notre Dame

Professional Experience

  • Chemist / Quality Control, The Dow Chemical Company, 1980–1982
  • Research Biochemist / Chemist, Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1982–1987
  • Research Investigator, Boehringer Mannheim, 1987–1988
  • Vice President and Board of Directors Member, Michiana Hematology Oncology PC, April 1998–June 2021
  • Medical Director of Oncology, Elkhart General Hospital, 1999–2004
  • Principal Investigator and Associate, NCI CCOP (NCI Community Clinical Oncology Program), June 1999–June 2013
  • Member, Board of Trustees, Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium (NICRC), 1999–2017
  • Board of Directors Member, Cancer Society of St. Joseph, 1998–2010
  • Vice Chair, Hoosier Oncology Group, 2006–2010
  • Founder and Editor, Cancer Research Today, 2007–2014
  • Board of Directors Member; Government Relations Chair; Pathways Task Force Chair, ASCO, 2010–2018
  • Board of Advisors Member, Medical Protective, 2013–June 2021
  • Vice Chair, Board of Directors, South Bend Medical Foundation, June 2017–June 2021
  • President/CEO, Michiana Hematology Oncology Advanced Centers for Cancer Care, January 2019–June 2021
  • Chair, South Bend Medical Foundation, June 2021–September 2024
  • Physician Emeritus, MHO Advanced Center for Cancer Care, May 2022–November 2023
  • Director of Breast Oncology, Cincinnati Cancer Advisors, October 2022–present
  • President, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), June 2024–August 2025
  • Chair, ASCO Society Board, June 2025–present

Research Activity

  • Clinical trial policy and access: Long-standing commitment to expanding clinical trial participation; Principal Investigator at NICRC under the NCI Community Clinical Oncology Program for 14 years; earned multiple NCI Platinum Certificates of Excellence for clinical trial accrual; co-author on ASCO SOCCA analysis of oncology fellows’ perceptions of preparedness and the importance of clinical trial participation (JCO Oncology Practice, 2023)
  • Telehealth in oncology: Pioneer in telehealth standards for oncology; lead author on ASCO Standards and Practice Recommendations for Telehealth in Oncology (JCO Oncology Practice, 2021; 135 citations), a landmark document establishing guidance for telehealth use across oncology settings
  • COVID-19 and cancer care: Co-author of the ASCO Road to Recovery Report evaluating adaptations in care delivery and research during the COVID-19 pandemic and providing a roadmap for a more equitable and efficient clinical research system (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2020; 88 citations)
  • Learning health care systems in oncology: Co-investigator in a multi-site democratic deliberation project (217 patients across four geographically diverse sites) examining patient preferences for consent models, data use, and governance of learning health care systems in oncology using CancerLinQ; published three analyses in JCO Oncology Practice (2019, 2020, 2020) and Journal of Clinical Oncology (2019)
  • Biosimilars in oncology: Contributed to ASCO’s foundational policy on biosimilars; co-author of the ASCO Statement on Biosimilars in Oncology (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2018; 101 citations) and the landmark New England Journal of Medicine paper on rationale, opportunities, and reality of biosimilar medications (2018; 72 citations)
  • Clinical pathways: Co-author on ASCO Policy Statement on Clinical Pathways in Oncology and on the landscape analysis of oncology clinical pathway providers (Journal of Oncology Practice, 2018; 36 citations)
  • Safe handling of hazardous drugs: Lead or co-author on ASCO Standards for Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2019; 30 citations; Journal of Oncology Practice, 2019)
  • GU oncology clinical trials: Co-author on a multicenter phase II study of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and bevacizumab as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (Hoosier Oncology Group GU-0475)
  • Breast cancer: Co-author on a meta-analysis of overall survival data from three randomized trials of bevacizumab and first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer; Director of Breast Oncology at Cincinnati Cancer Advisors
  • Prostate cancer chemoprevention: Co-author on publication regarding use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for prostate cancer chemoprevention

Honors and Awards

  • ASCO Distinguished Achievement Award, 2020
  • Danielson Award for Research
  • Hope Award
  • National Cancer Institute Individual Physician High Accrual Award
  • National Cancer Institute Platinum Certificate of Excellence for Clinical Trial Accrual as PI of NICRC (multiple)

Memberships / Affiliations

  • Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP)
  • Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO)
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) — Chair, Society Board (2025–present); President (2024–2025); Board of Directors, Government Relations Chair, and Pathways Task Force
  • Chair (2010–2018)
  • Hoosier Oncology Group — Vice Chair (2006–2010)
  • Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium (NICRC) — Principal Investigator and Board of Trustees Member (1999–2017)
  • Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG)

Areas of Specialization

  • Medical oncology — breast cancer
  • Telehealth in oncology and standards of care
  • Clinical trial policy, access, and accrual
  • Biosimilars in oncology
  • Oncology clinical pathways
  • Safe handling of hazardous drugs
  • Learning health care systems and patient data governance
  • Healthcare leadership and physician administration
  • Cancer care equity and value-based care
  • Genitourinary oncology (clinical trial research)
  • Medical oncology workforce and training

Publications

Subbiah IM, Schenkel C, Kirkwood MK, Levit LA, Zon RT, et al. “Multilevel factors impacting clinical trial participation: An ASCO State of Cancer Care in America (SOCCA) analysis of oncology fellows’ perceptions.” JCO Oncology Practice, November 2023.

Jones R, Krenz C, Griffith KA, Jagsi R, Zon R, et al. “Patient Experiences, Trust, and Preferences for Health Data Sharing.” JCO Oncology Practice, December 2021. 13 citations.

Zon RT, Kennedy EB, Adelson K, Page RD, et al. “Telehealth in Oncology: ASCO Standards and Practice Recommendations.” JCO Oncology Practice, July 2021. 135 citations.

Pennell N, Dillmon M, Levit LA, Burris HA, Zon RT, et al. “American Society of Clinical Oncology Road to Recovery Report: Learning From the COVID-19 Experience to Improve Clinical Research and Cancer Care.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, December 2020. 88 citations.

Jones R, Krenz C, Griffith KA, Jagsi R, Zon R, et al. “Governance of a Learning Health Care System for Oncology: Patient Recommendations.” JCO Oncology Practice, October 2020. 12 citations.

Jones R, Krenz C, Gornick M, Jagsi R, Zon R, et al. “Patient Preferences Regarding Informed Consent Models for Participation in a Learning Health Care System for Oncology.” JCO Oncology Practice, April 2020. 15 citations.

Jagsi R, Griffith KA, Jones R, Zon R, Bradbury AR, et al. “Effect of Public Deliberation on Patient Attitudes Regarding Consent and Data Use in a Learning Health Care System for Oncology.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, October 2019. 25 citations.

Celano P, Kennedy EB, Zon RT, et al. “ASCO Standards for Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs.” Journal of Oncology Practice, January 2019.

Celano P, Fausel CA, Kennedy EB, Zon RT, et al. “Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs: ASCO Standards.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, January 2019. 30 citations.

Lyman GH, Zon R, Harvey RD, Schilsky RL. “Rationale, Opportunities, and Reality of Biosimilar Medications.” New England Journal of Medicine 378(21):2036–2044, May 2018. 72 citations.

Lyman GH, Balaban E, Diaz M, Schilsky RL, Zon R, et al. “American Society of Clinical Oncology Statement: Biosimilars in Oncology.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, February 2018. 101 citations.

Daly B, Zon RT, Page RD, Bosserman L, et al. “Oncology Clinical Pathways: Charting the Landscape of Pathway Providers.” Journal of Oncology Practice, February 2018. 36 citations.

Zon RT, Page R. “When Investment Meets Return.” Journal of Oncology Practice, February 2018.

Zon RT. “USP(3): United in Safeguarding Patients, Personnel, and Providers.” Journal of Oncology Practice, February 2017. 2 citations.

All information is sourced from publicly available materials.